<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Inescapable by TheSmellOfDustAfterRain</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246935">Inescapable</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSmellOfDustAfterRain/pseuds/TheSmellOfDustAfterRain'>TheSmellOfDustAfterRain</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Sanders Sides (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, College, Don't Like Don't Read, Fluff, Incest, M/M, Shame, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Twincest</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:21:26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,545</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246935</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheSmellOfDustAfterRain/pseuds/TheSmellOfDustAfterRain</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Something is wrong with Roman's soulmate mark and a twenty year old secret is dug up.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders &amp; Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders, Creativity | Roman "Princey" Sanders/Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Roman is sitting in the lobby of Soulmate Services, anxiously twisting a red ring around his left ring finger. Most people who come here are using the Service's register, hoping to find their soulmate and change their colored ring to a white one. Also waiting, is a middle aged couple wearing gold rings. They aren't looking at each. They seem to not be able to stand each other. Perhaps, they are a pair with common names, mismatched and married to the wrong person. Or, they could just be another sad story of soulmates unsuited for each other.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Whatever anyone's reason for coming to Soulmate Services today, Roman guarantees he is the only one coming in for this particular problem. Something is wrong with his soulmark.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every person, aside from a sad few, is born with a name written onto their left ring finger. Doctors can take a magnifying glass and see the name of the person a baby is meant to love. It's even recorded on a person's birth certificate. They never change, even in death.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman's soulmark is changing. For months he denied it. He's a romantic, he has dreamed of the day he would meet his true love from the moment he learned what the writing on his finger meant.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Seamus. Roman was supposed to fall in love with a man named Seamus. But, now his mark is fading and Roman can't help but worry. What if his soulmate has died? What if there was a mistake when he was born and he is actually soulless? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman almost doesn't hear the receptionist call his name. He stands up, a bit shaky, and follows someone back to a doctor's office. Hopefully, a soulmate specialist can alleviate Roman's fears. He sits down in the chilly office and waits some more.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>An older, grandmotherly looking woman with curly-haired woman and bottlecap glasses enters the room, clipboard in hand. "Good morning, Mr. Kingsley." She extends her tight hand out to shake Roman's, which he does. Even left handed people shake with their right; left hands are too precious. The doctor sits down. "So, it seems we are having some concerns about our soulmark?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Yes," Roman squeaks out, nervously. He clears his throat and tries again. "I am, yes. It... Um... I don't know. It's just different than it was." He keeps fidgeting with his ring. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I'm sure it's nothing dear." The doctor smiles reassuringly. "May I take a look?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman's stomach is in knots. Showing someone your soulmark is supposed to be an intimate moment between soulmates. He nods however and slips off his red ring. What used to be crisp black lines spelling Seamus is now half blurry and faded. Roman holds his hand out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor takes Roman's hand and examines his mark. Her soothing smile slips into a confused frown. "Oh dear..." That doesn't sound hopeful. She gets out a magnifying glass and small light to get a closer look. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it?" Roman asks, unable to keep the tinge of fear from his voice. "What's wrong with me?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The doctor looks up and smiles again, but it doesn't quite reach her eyes. "Nothing dear. There's nothing wrong with you. It's just... I haven't seen something like this in almost thirty years."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is it? Did something happen to my soulmate?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"No dear, I'm sure they are just fine. This is... Oh dear how do I put this delicately... Your soulmark has been changed. Someone has tattooed over your true soulmate's name."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman freezes. "That... What... Why?" He can't get a fully formed sentence out.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The elderly doctor pats Roman's hand. "It used to happen in less accepting times when a baby was born with a same sex soulmate. I must be honest, I don't know why it would be done now, though."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Was it... Did my parents have it changed?" Roman's head is reeling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Unfortunately, it almost certainly was their decision."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I... I don't understand... Why would they do that?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"I don't know dear. That is something you will have to ask them." The doctor can only offer a small, sad smile and some word uttered in a grandmotherly voice. "The good news is, your true mark will come back. That's what's happening now. The ink that was used in the cover up has been breaking down since the tattoo was given to you. I expect in four to six weeks, it should all be gone."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"And... Then I'll know who my true soulmate is? I won't be soulless?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You're not soulless, dear. That is the problem with fate, you can't escape it. Even if someone tries to hide you from it."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman is still shocked, but he's put at ease. "Thank you doctor." He slides his ring back over his soulmark, shakes the doctor's hand again, and leaves her office.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It's time for Roman to have a conversation with his parents.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Roman leaves campus early to make the three hour drive home. This talk has to happen in person.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"How could they?" Roman mutters to himself as he drives. "Why would they? What name would be so bad that they would…" There is a pit in Roman's stomach. His heart is pounding and his head keeps going over worst case scenarios.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>It is dusk when he arrives home. There are no lights on or cars in the driveway; Roman's parents are teachers, professors, so they spend a lot of time at their University. His mother teaches Greco-Roman literature and his father is a professor of ancient history. Their children suffered their obsession even in their names: Roman and Remus.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman pulls into the drive and walks into his childhood home. It's quiet and dark inside. He slips off his shoes by the door; his mother hates when they wear their shoes in the house. He flicks on a light in the living room and sits down. This is going to be a difficult conversation to have, so Roman starts scripting out what he should say. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The floorboards upstairs creak and snap Roman out of his thoughts. He holds his breath. There's another creak of old wood and now it sounds like someone is moving around upstairs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman gets up quiet as possible and slips into the kitchen. He grabs a knife from the knife block. He heads for the stairs. This isn't a horror movie and Roman is not going to give himself away by calling out to the potential </span>
  <strike>
    <span>axe murderer</span>
  </strike>
  <span> home invader. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sound of the person seems to be coming from his old room, the one he had shared with his twin brother for most of his life. Roman grips the knife and takes a hold of the door handle. He shoves the door open.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Whoever's in here, I have a knife!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Oh goodie!" A figure is standing with his back to Roman, but he would recognize the distinctive laugh of his older twin anywhere.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Remus?" Roman sounds incredulous.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"In the flesh!" The other brother spins around dramatically. "Stab me daddy-o!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman rolls his eyes. "Shut up, idiot." He lowers the knife. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus pouts. "So, no stabby?" He almost sounds sad. "You never do anything fun." He plops onto his messy bed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What are you doing here?" Roman hasn't seen his twin in a year, since going off to college. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus had never had the easiest time in school, so stayed close to home going to community college, but he had dropped out in the middle of his second semester. He didn't tell anyone where he was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What? I can't be in my own room?" Remus picks a magazine up off the floor. And, yep, it's a porno mag. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You bailed, dude! No one knew where you were! Or, if you were even alive!" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus just shrugs, "came back about a month ago." He flips the page and something catches Roman's eye, a black ring.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus is soulless, born without a name on his finger. Soulless people have always been looked down on. Some say they are cursed or demons. Some people try to claim that every psychopath in history was soulless, which is demonstrably false. Some believers in reincarnation even believe that someone becomes soulless if they kill their soulmate in a past life. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Regardless of which superstition people believe, the treatment of the soulless is not good. They get bullied in school, harassed on the street, and even denied jobs or housing. That's why most soulless choose to wear a black ring; it's better to be pitied for losing a soulmate than be spat on for never having one.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"What is that, Re?" Roman points to the ring. "What are you playing at?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus looks at his hand, then hides it behind the magazine. "It's nothing."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Nothing? Really? Because it looks like a widowers ring."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus sits up. "I said, it's nothing." His voice is cold, he is pissed.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"You've never worn a ring?" Roman keeps digging. "What happened to pissing off bigots? What happened to saying fuck you to fate?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Drop it, Roman." Remus glares at his twin. "Now."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"It's a joke, right?" Roman has to understand what's going through his brother's head. "You're playing for what? Attention? Pity?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Shut the fuck up!" Remus looks halfway between crying and cutting his brother's head off. "Jesus fuck!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The look on his twin's face sends a twinge into Roman's heart. He hadn't meant to push that far, usually Remus was more resistant. His tone softens. "Remus? What is going on?" </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The twelve-minutes older brother spins the black ring around his finger. "I… I thought I was seeing things at first… Like a bad acid trip… But it didn't go away…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman gets the same sinking feeling again. He sits on his brother's bed. "What didn't go away, Re?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus shakes his head, like he's trying to get his thoughts untangled. "I went to some dude who… who looked at my soulmark…" He looks up at his younger brother. "I'm not supposed to have one, Ro… but…"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"One started showing up?" Roman finishes his twin's sentence.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus nods. "About three months ago… It sent me into a whirlwind. I couldn't focus on my classes."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Why is it only now just showing up?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"The only way would have been if… I was born with one and… it was lasered off before I could remember."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The world comes to a screeching halt. First, Roman learns his soulmark was altered. Now, his brother was removed. What are their parents trying to hide?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Do you know what it says? What your soulmate's name is?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Remus shakes his head. "It's still too blurry."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>There are a million other things Roman wants to ask, he wants to tell his brother about the strangeness happening to his own soulmark, but, at that moment, the front door unlocks. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Roman?" a woman calls out. "Are you here?"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Roman sighs and shouts downstairs. "Yeah, mom! I decided to swing by for the weekend!"</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Well, tell your brother to get down here and help your dad bring in the groceries."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Be right down!" Roman gets up. "Come on Re." It seems they are going to have an interesting conversation at dinner.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"In a moment. Gotta hide my jerkin off material." Remus tries to sound like his usual self, but Roman knows him too well. He lets it slide, though.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Okay. I'll cover for you." Roman goes to leave. "Don't be too long."</span>
</p><p>
  <span>When Roman is out of sight, Remus sighs. He twists at his ring, wishing that his brother hadn't just dropped in. This was going to make things so much harder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He takes a moment then slips off his ring. There, blurry but still legible, is his younger twin's name.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Roman doesn't have a chance to talk alone with his brother. His mother ropes him into helping cook dinner and, before he knows it, the family is sitting down to eat. It feels pretty awkward, at least to Roman. He keeps trying to think of how to start the conversation they so desperately need to have and his deep thinking catches the attention of his mother.</p><p>"Everything all right?" she asks.</p><p>"What?" Roman is pulled from his thoughts. "Yeah. I'm just… Thinking about a role I'm auditioning for."</p><p>"You didn't tell us you were trying out for anything," Roman's father says. He disapproves of Roman's acting.</p><p>"Yeah, well. I only just saw the casting call and haven't decided if I'm gonna try out." Roman takes his shot. "It's set in the 80's. The male lead is gay and just coming out. He just learned that his parents changed his soulmark when he was born cuz; they didn't like that his soulmate was another guy. I didn't even know that could happen, but apparently parents would have their babies tattooed if they didn't like who their soulmate was."</p><p>A tense silence descends over the dinner table.</p><p>"Could you even imagine?" Roman continues. "Being so afraid of the fate that you would submit your child to something like that?"</p><p>"That sounds terrible," Remus pipes in.</p><p>Roman's father is glowering at him and his mother gives him a look, pleading with him to stop pushing.</p><p>Roman doesn't. "Yeah. The topic interested me because something has been going on with my soulmark."</p><p>Mr. Kingsley slams down his silverware. "That's enough, Roman!" he shouts. </p><p>"Did I say something wrong?" Roman tilts his head defiantly, his tone is bordering on sarcastic.</p><p>"Whatever little game you playing, I will have no part in!" Roman's father stands up quickly to tower over him.</p><p>"Game?!" Roman sounds incredulous. "This isn't a game! This is my life! My soulmate!"</p><p>Roman's mother looks like she is on the edge of tears and Remus looks shaken and confused. </p><p>"What did you do to me?! What did you do to my soulmark?! To Remus's?!"</p><p>Mr. Kingsley tries to storm out, but Roman blocks his path.</p><p>"What names could have possibly been so bad?" Roman pleads with his father. </p><p>"Each other's!" Roman's father looks sick to his stomach. For a moment, no one seemed to breathe.</p><p>Roman's mother breaks the silence. "You had each other's names…" She sounds heartbroken. "We thought… Maybe it was a different Roman… But Remus…" She turns to her eldest son. "That's not a common name and… we knew…"</p><p>Roman stares at his twin, bewildered. "No… That… That can't be right…" He is shell shocked. "But he... I... We're…"</p><p>"That's why." The Kingsley patriarch says without any emotion left in his voice. "We changed yours and erased your brother's. We weren't going to have our sons be perverts."</p><p>That cuts Roman and, judging from how Remus jumps up and runs from the dining room, it hurt him, too. Roman wants to follow. He wants to flee and run into his brother's arms. </p><p>It had never occurred to him just how close he had been to Remus; they're twins, they're supposed to be close. But… Remus was always the person Roman turned to. When he lost his first audition, when he cried during movies, when their first dog ran away. Remus had always been there and always knew exactly what he needed.</p><p>Roman loved his brother. He'd just never realized how deeply. "It's not perverted." Roman turns away from his father. "It's fate." He heads upstairs to comfort his soulmate.</p><p> </p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>